Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 18-year-old Devon VanDerWege of Marilla pleaded guilty before Erie County Court Judge James Bargnesi to Manslaughter in the First Degree.

On March 10, 2017 at a mobile home park on Hemstreet Road in Marilla, the defendant, while babysitting 2-year-old Ethan Bigham of Marilla, caused the death of the boy from blunt force trauma.

VanDerWege faces a maximum of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Monday, April 9 at 2 p.m. He has been remanded without bail.

DA Flynn commends the investigative work of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, including Senior Detective Jack Graham, and Detectives Jonathan Hanna, Christian Parisi and Shaun Hediger.

Chief Colleen Curtin Gable of the DA’s Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Nicholas T. Texido prosecuted the case.